Swine Flu Got You Scared? Don’t Give In To the Fear!

As if all the recession doomsday news we’ve been blanketed with for the past six months hasn’t been enough to keep us awake at night, now we’ve got another thing to be worried about: swine flu. News of it is everywhere we turn, and most of us are obsessively staying up-to-date on every little detail. Has the alert level been raised? Are we in full-scale pandemic mode? Can it spread from person to person by casual contact? Will I get it?

The recent emergence of swine flu (seriously…had anyone even heard of this a week ago?) has given the media exactly what they want…a hot story with the best possible component for getting viewers to tune in: FEAR. In fact, the media knows more than anyone that fear sells. So what do they do? Give us exactly what they think we want. Round-the-clock news coverage and meaningless updates that don’t actually provide any new information.

It can be extremely hard to stay immune from all the hype. And BTW, I’m not saying that practicing good personal hygiene like washing your hands or covering your mouth when sneezing isn’t important. But what good does obsessing over global pandemics that are, frankly, beyond our control, and most likely won’t affect most of anyway do in the first place? With fear as our guide, we’ll make choices for all the wrong reasons. With fear as our guide, we’ll get depressed or anxious about things that may never even affect us. With fear as our guide, we’ll be contributing to the negative vibe out there instead of focusing on things like hope and possibility.

So I say, say no to the fear! Choose instead to think positively and be a light in the world!

Here’s what I suggest:

First off, become aware of how many fear-based media messages you’re absorbing. When a story about swine flu comes on the radio or the TV, know that you can easily remove the fear by switching it off! And then take my Smart Girls Know Conquer Your Fear Challenge. For the next seven days, don’t let fear make your choices for you by following these four steps:

1. The next time you’re in a situation where you’re making a tough decision, ask yourself why you’re choosing to do or not do something.
2. Notice whether or not you’re making the choice out of worry, concern, or some other fear-based emotion.
3. If you are making the choice out of fear, think about what different decision you would make based on hope and possibility.
4. Make the new choice and notice how much better it feels!

For more on saying no to fear, check out this Smart Girls Know affirmation!